Table I.
Identified studies on the administration of piracetam in the perioperative period and the effect on cognitive performance.
| Author (Year) | Study design | No. of subjects (active, placebo) | Piracetam dose | Duration | Age, years (SD) | Outcomes used for meta-analysis | Main conclusion | Jadad score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uebelhack (2003) | RCT | (32, 32) | 12 g/60 ml IV over 30 mins | Once prior to surgery | 63.1 (8.4) | SKT | Piracetam infusion prior to surgical intervention may provide a short-term neuroprotective effect | 7 |
| Szalma (2006) | RCT | (50, 48) | Prior to surgery: 150 mg/kg/day IV Post surgery: 12 g/day PO |
Six weeks | P: 55.50 (5.58) C: 56.16 (5.51) |
Twelve neuro-psychologic tests | Six weeks after CABG cognition was significantly improved in patients treated with piracetam | 7 |
| Holinski (2008) | RCT | (60, 60) | 12 g/60 ml IV over 30 mins | Once prior to surgery | 62.2 (8.5) | SKT | Piracetam reduces early postoperative substantial decline of neuro-psychological abilities | 7 |
SD, standard deviation; RCT, randomized controlled trial; IV, intravenously; SKT, Syndrom-Kurz test; PO, Per os; P, piracetam group; C, control group; CABG, coronary artery bypass grafting.